Motorcyclists are more prone to get impacted by strong winds as compared to other vehicles on the road. Therefore, overtaking bikers requires extra care, especially on a windy day. To help you in doing this, we have jotted down some essentials you cannot miss out on!
How To Carefully Overtake A Motorcyclist On A Windy Day?
Did you just plan a trip towards the corniche because you love going on long drives in windy weather? Are you worried about overtaking the motorcyclists on the highway amidst gusting winds?
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There are no second thoughts that we should carefully overtake cyclists and motorcyclists on a windy day as they are the most vulnerable road users. To help you out with this intricate matter, we have compiled a comprehensive guide.
Grab a seat as we spill the beans!
Avoid Overtakes Until Necessary
First and foremost, the thought of overtaking a motorcyclist should be postponed or terminated - until it becomes a necessity. The reason for this is that whichever way you cross the most vulnerable road user, they would feel the winds push doubled. This would not only make them uncomfortable, but the motorcyclist may also swerve on the road!
Expert Tip: If you feel that a biker is driving near the speed limit under the highway code, you should also drive slowly. This would make your journey safe and help save you from a traffic fine! |
Maintain Speed Gradually
Overtaking requires an increase in speed. However, flying by a motorcyclist is not recommended. In case you have to overtake owing to an emergency or any other justified reason, increase your vehicle’s speed at a slow pace.
By slowly pushing the race pedal, lesser push of side winds would hit the biker as compared to overtakes at a high speed. Also, it would aid you in reducing your vehicle’s speed in case of an emergency!
Maintain A Safe Distance
Do you remember the time when your driving trainer used to repeatedly emphasise maintaining a safe distance from vehicles? Along with safety from abrupt braking, keeping a motorcyclist safe on windy days was another reason.
Example:
When you are about to overtake a motorcyclist on the highway at a speed of 60mp/h, ensure that you are some metres away. This would make the vacuums’ pull less intense and minimise the chances of losing control of steering.
Respect Bike Lane Discipline
Although there are no specific lanes for bikes on UK’s highways, we expect that you respect the lane in which a motorcyclist is. Most of the bikers avoid the fast lane on a windy day. This makes them mostly use the extreme left lanes when going in the clockwise direction.
To ensure a careful and safe overtake on windy days, try to use the fast lanes. As a motorcyclist is usually away from these lanes, things would go safely!
Pro Tip: Mostly use the middlemost lanes to travel in your SUV or Sedan while traveling on the highway, as it would keep the bikers safe from your vehicle's windy push. Also it would save your car, from heavy traffic passing by at high speed! |
Check Mirrors and Blind Spots
Did a wave of fear ever run through your body when you had a close call with a lorry while overtaking? Was it a terrifying experience, as a slight mistake would have wreaked havoc?
Similar is the case when it comes to vehicles overtaking a motorcyclist. As the latter is a comparatively smaller machine, it needs to be passed by carefully. Therefore, it is imperative for you as a vehicle owner to check the blind spots to keep an eye on motorcyclists!
Know About The Wind Directions
The monitoring of wind direction plays a major factor in carefully overtaking motorcyclists. What happens is that whenever a car overtakes a bike, there is a push of wind. This makes bikers lose control over the steering.
With adequate knowledge of the wind direction, you can easily calculate the impact of overtaking a biker at a certain speed – minimising the push!
Conclusion
To sum up, it can be said that overtaking a motorcyclist on a windy day requires extra care. For this purpose, it is imperative for the vehicle owner to firstly avoid overtaking until necessary. If it becomes needful, speed should be increased gradually, and a safe distance should be maintained. Along with this, you, as a sedan or SUV owner, should check your blind spot and know the wind direction before overtaking a motorcyclist on a windy day!
FAQs
- Why is it important to know about the wind direction?Wind directions help in deciding the optimal speed needed to overtake a motorcyclist within the safety corridor!
- Why not I push the pedal and quickly overtake the motorcyclist on a windy day?A motorcyclist can lose control of the steering and crash into the fields because of the wind’s push when you try to overtake at high speed. So, it is not recommended!
- Are overtakes not recommended on windy days?Yes. Overtaking on windy days can be fatal for your vehicle and a motorcycle both owing to strong air pressure!
About Author : Eagan Taylor
Hey! I'm Eagan Taylor, I'm a versatile writer with a passion for crafting engaging and thought-provoking content. With a broad range of interests and expertise in various subjects, I can write on multiple topics about local businesses.
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